The Ministers of Defence of Nigeria since 1999 who came from a military background

The Ministers of Defence of Nigeria since 1999 who came from a military background are:

1. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, retired Lieutenant General. He served from June 1999 to May 2003.

2. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, retired Army Lieutenant-General (listed as General in the user query). He served from March 2014 to May 2015.

3. Mansur Muhammad Dan Ali, retired Army Brigadier-General (listed as General in the user query). He served from November 2015 to May 2019.

4. Bashir Salihi Magashi, retired Army Major General. He served from August 2019 to May 2023.

5. Christopher Gwabin Musa, retired Army General. He was nominated on December 2, 2025, confirmed shortly after, and is the current Minister of Defence.